Axial flow turbine oil line flow indicator



June 3, 1952 R. RUBENsTElN ErAL AXIAL FLOW TURBINE OIL LINE FLOW INDICATOR Filed March ll, 1950 ull" wmmmmmmmmwge Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES Robert Rubenstein and Sidney I. Groban,

"Chicago, Ill.

diveliddiidii. Mdidh 11, 1950i .Serial N- 149,116

3 Claims.

1; The Present iiivdiiiisiii'ididids i9 d iiiiid flow. indicata arid. 'more pdti'diiiaiy 'i0 afi aiiidl. 130W turbine oil line flow indicator.

in, the prier ari.; maar various types, 0f fidid dei@ iiidididr have been pidbdsd- Such indi-i eaters ai@ eeiieiraiirbdik'r, ie'idiiifii iiidai iii design, arid' @auditive 'i0' "iiiaiiiiiddiiiid" Also# irridal dew iiididaidis hereididi riibpOSed have Substantially resiridiediii. fiOW di iiii'id didieii'udiigii. dS i0. interfere iviih iiiiid fidW and iiiidde @draaiende iiirdiili The dit iiirdiiiidii iidw provides dii @X- iiaiieiy simule fluid; der indicator which is. Seriali .ii sida iiieareiisiv@ id manufactura aiid .le uiiiidiit interieure Substantially Wiiii iliiid dow tiiereiiiidiisii- ",iiiel ifiididdior of die. present'inventiqri is particularly adapted for use iii die. dii. di biliar liibiidaiii' iirie. 0f diiiiiieiiidl cdiiiiaiisiidn. @rigida Siidii. as.' dii adidiiidiivd diif iiibiidaiidii. systems, di siidiil ngmds 'are ddiiraitilaiaiir addicted. with Qii filters which may decade clogged during iiSdSd s 't0 iiiiider 1. tali'. 139W add Visddi iiididaiidii, 0f hibridaiii flew ihrdiigii, 'die System. and particularly @hidden the diie Wciiid be highly. desirable The llid. @RW IiQ9l59 hefe'iffle, available. have, ndt been editable fdr, siidii. iis@ dde. i0 their exrieuse Sidaaiidldi interference with fluid flow iiiidlieii. relatively siiiaii ddiidiiii- Th DdQQ Qf 12h?, pileefit DVGHQU 00miiiises esiiidiaiiy tubular easing formed. 0f trans- 'p idiii material, such dS glass, or a Synthetic tastic., idr 'crampi-e meiiiybmeihairiaid Ali, elQigfQQ TIO-t0? 0f: Varie its* J'Qundl-@ by the. 9357 ins for axia qtaftidn therein. the rotar breien a being formed of *sheet or.` ribbon stock twisted diidiii, its longitudinal aids i0, Pmi/ide d varie conguration, The casing is formed with an integral inwardly directed radial flange for providing a stop for Vthe rotor to prevent displace redini iiidieef iran; the .Casing iiriddf the iniiudiide of fluid flow. casing is vsecured Within suitabl`cou ig members yfor facilitating the insertion of the indicator in a uid iiow line.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive iiuid flow indicator adapted for the 'new of fluid therethrdugh wiiiidut substantial, hindrance.

Another important object of the present in? ventiQn is to provide a fluid flow indicator infriddims the transparent casingidurnaiins there in for rotation a rotor, the casing being transparent to permit visual inspection of the rotor and the ready determination of iiuid ,110W through the casing.

ings.

On the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational View of an oil lter and flou'r lines for an internal cornbustion engine equipped With'aoufindicaton of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an axial sectional View of a flow indicator of the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a sectional vies/v taken along the plane III-#I IKI of Figure ,2.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1, reference numeral I0 reters generally to an internal combustion engine lubricant system of conventional design including alubricant filter confined Wit-hin a lter housing II andadapated to receive lubricant from an inlet line I2 and to return lubricant to the lubrication system I6 through an outlet line I3.

'As indicated generally by reference numeral I5, the ow indicator or 'the present invention is interposed, in the outlet line I3 leading from the iilter I'I Oil or other lubricant flows through the system from the filter and passes through the indicator, and the indicator serves to give a visual indication of fiow therethrough. Thus, if the iilter l I is clogged so that flow therethrough is restricted or entirely impeded', this condition will be indicated visually at the ow indicator. 0f course, it Will be appreciated that the indi- Gator I5 Iriay be interposed in the filter inlet line I2,` inasrnuch as the lubrication system generally is a closed circuit, and back pressure generated by the nite;- wui prevent now'tnroghtne'iiuet une lg 'as wenas throughtne Quue't iih I3.

vThe indicator' VI5 (Figure "2) includesa transparent casing 'le interposed ubeftwe'eri'a"paiifoff adapters, idd'iidiiiii d mais adaptor "ii nda fef adapter Li?! The @iside fdiid'fiiar'is- .par ii" err-ii, sich as e. Qr suitable Diasiie sinh methyl iridiii'asiyiaia celluicse acetate butyrate, er therme.' The easing isgenei-iiy tubular and is provided with a generally cylindrical axial bore I 6a terminating at one end in a radially cut-turned integral ange I3 seated within an axial recess Isa of the female adaptor I8. To seal the casing in the adaptor a liquidtight gasket 22, such as cork, is interposed between the flange I8 and the bottom of the recess lila of the adaptor. The other end of the bore |6a terminates in a radially inturned flange 2| having a central aperture 22, the flange 2| cooperating with the casing bore IGa to dene an interior annular shoulder 23. The flange 2I also defines an exterior shoulder 24 which is seated against a mating countersunk shoulder 25 in the bore of the male adaptor I'I.

An axial flow rotor or vane 26 is mounted in bore I'I of casing I6, the rotor being of such size as to be journaled in the casing for rotation therein about a longitudinal axis coaxial with respect to the axis of the bore I'I. The rotor 26 is formed by merely axially deflecting or twisting from planer configuration an initially plane ribbon or sheet of suitable material, such as glass or plastic, and the axial twist thus imparted to the elongated rotor 26 insures its rotation about its longitudinal axis in a moving stream of fluid, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. The transverse dimension of the rotor 26 is substantially equivalent to the diameter of the bore II, so that the rotor is journaled in the casing bore for rotation about its longitudinal axis. One end of the rotor abuts the flange 2| o-f the casing I6, and this flange is downstream of the fluid flow through the casing so that llow through the bore Ia, as from the filter I I, urges the rotor into engagement with the flange. However, engagement between the rotor and the flange is not suillcient to hinder relatively free rotation of the rotor in the bore, particularly since the uid flowing through the bore serves to lubricate this engagement.

To assemble the indicator I in the line I3, it is necessary merely to provide the ends of the line I3 with adaptors 21 and 28 for threaded engagement with the adaptors I'I and I8, respectively, to secure the indicator thereto.

The advantages in the present invention will be evident to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. The simplicity of manufacture will be evident by the journaling of the rotor 2S within the casing bore ISa, thus eliminating the necessity of ya rotor shaft, as is common in the prior art. The arrangement of the casing flanges I9 and 2| is likewise advantageous, the adaptors I8 serving to retain sealing means 2B within the female adaptor I8, and the flange 2| serving to retain the rotor 26 within the bore Ita. No sealing means, other than a mere glue type "seal, are necessary at the juncture of the flange 2| and the male fitting I1, inasmuch as any pressure exerted against these members will be back pressure. The seal ring or gasket 20 may be retained within the female member I8 by engagement with the fitting 28 threaded into the female adaptor I8 to abut the flange or, if desired, by the provision of adhesive means.

It will be noted that there is substantially no interference with flow through the indicator, except that resistance of the freely rotatable rotor 25. That end of the casing I'I is secured to the female member I8 and is entirely free of any restriction, while the restriction offered by the rotor-retaining flange 2| is minor. In the absence of a shaft for the rotor 26, it is not necessary to provide a spider or other shaft supporting means which would interfere with fluid flow through the casing.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A fluid flow indicator comprising a casing of transparent material having a substantially cylindrical bore and an inturned annular radial flange at one end of the bore, and an elongated axially twisted vane disposed in the bore and guided solely thereby for rotation about its longitudinal axis, said Vane having a transverse dimension substantially equal to the diameter of said bore so that said vane is guided along its length by its proximity to the casing walls delining said bore, said vane in use being bottomed against said flange by fluid flow through the bore to prevent displacement of the rotor from said bore and said bore being substantially open to the free flow of fluid therethrough.

2. A fluid flow indicator comprising a casing having a transparent wall, a generally cylindrical interior bore and a radially inwardly extending annular flange at one end of said bore, and an axially twisted elongated rotor disposed in the bore and having a substantially constant transverse dimension substantially identical with the diameter of the bore so that said rotor is guided for rotation about its longitudinal axis along substantially the entire length of said rotor solely by the bore, said rotor being retained against said inturned flange solely by the ilow of fluid through said bore and said bore being substantially open to the free flow of fluid therethrough.

3. In a lubrication system for an internal combustion engine including a lubricant filter and lines for introducing and removing lubricant from said filter, a lubricant ilow indicator interposed in one of said lines comprising adaptors secured to said one line and having opposing interior shoulders, a transparent casing confined between said adaptors and having an interior bore, said casing having an integrally formed inturned annular flange at one end of said bore and an outturned annular flange at the other end of said bore, said casing ends being in seated relation with the interior shoulders of said adaptors, and an elongated axially twisted Vane rotor disposed in said bore for abutting said inturned flange during the flow of lubricant through said bore to prevent displacement of the rotor therefrom, said rotor having a constant transverse dimension substantially identical with the diameter of the bore so that said rotor is guided for rotation about its longitudinal axis solely by the bore, and said casing inturned flange constituting the only impediment to free ow of fluid therethrough so that said bore is substantially open to fluid flow.

ROBERT RUBENSTEIN, SIDNEY I. GROBAN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date King Sept. 1 2, 1905 Number 

